


Friends, Family, and Teammates

by indiepjones46



Series: Time in a Bottle Ficlets [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: AU, Barry is determined to have fun, Caitlin gets drunk, Cisco is sorry, Ficlet Collection, I Loved The Musical, Inspired by Music, Karaoke, Len just wants to go home and screw, Lisa is a drama mama, M/M, Multi, No Plot/Plotless, Shenanigans, just for fun, night out, relationship drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-10-17 02:29:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10584543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indiepjones46/pseuds/indiepjones46
Summary: Barry drags Len to a "night out" with Cisco, Caitlin, and Lisa. Shenanigans ensue.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Don't own or profit from characters or anything owned by someone else. Just playing around.
> 
> Notes: So, I took a long break from writing. I think I needed it after finishing that series! It took a lot out of me, so I just stopped for a while. Fortunately, I have forced my lazy behind to start typing! This ficlet series takes place in the same AU as the [Time in a Bottle](http://archiveofourown.org/series/592294) series, but it will not a be a running series. Each story will be a new situation for our favorite characters, so they may be from any of their POV. These stories are just for fun, and I hope you enjoy them like the tasty little treats they are meant to be!

“Explain to me again why we are doing this,” Leonard Snart remarked with studied patience.

Barry rolled his eyes dramatically and looked out the tinted window of the SUV. The orange, red, yellow, and green lights of Central City glowed brightly in the darkness of the spring night. They raced past his gaze in brilliant bursts as Len drove them through the city streets at 45 miles per hour, but to Barry, it seemed as if they were taking a pleasant stroll. Because of the speed force cycling through his body, he was able to process any type of motion instantaneously. He loved the thrill and freedom of just running for the fun of it, and he longed to jump out of the vehicle so he could feel the wind sloughing off of him like butter off a hot knife. But, now was not the time or place to indulge the speed force and run. Now, he had to convince his live-in lover not to run, too.

Barry’s left foot vibrated against the floor of the SUV as he replied with long-suffering, “We are adults, Len. Adults go out to dinner and drinks with other adults that they consider friends. There’s conversation, laughter, and fun to be had by all. You’re not getting out of this.”

Len snorted as he engaged the turn signal to go right. “I’m pretty sure I said those exact words to you last night.”

Barry’s cheeks flamed even as he shot Len a disgruntled look. “And you’re also not going to distract me by talking about sex.” He paused for a moment before adding grudgingly, “But, yes, you did say those exact words last night.”

Len’s pale blue eyes seemed to glow in the dim interior of the idling luxury SUV as he lazily looked Barry up and down. “We can go home and do it all over again right now, if you want to.”

Barry considered it for all of two seconds before he shook his head no with determination. “No. We’re going, Len. We agreed to this, and we’re going to honor our word.”

Len’s heavy sigh signaled his capitulation, but his tone was uncharacteristically petulant when he replied, “I don’t even like Cisco, Scarlet. And while I am legally bound to love my sister, I’m not too thrilled about the idea of her and alcohol together. It’s not a pretty sight; that’s all I’m trying to say.”

Barry’s lips twitched as he drummed his fingers restlessly against the door handle. “What about Caitlin? I thought you liked her now that she has full control of her powers.”

Len shrugged his shoulder before answering, “I respect Caitlin, Barry. That is not the same thing as ‘liking’ her.”

Barry sighed with relief as they pulled into the parking lot of fancy Italian restaurant. As Len slowed the SUV down at valet parking, Barry replied lightly, “Just try not to antagonize Cisco, and leave Lisa to him and Caitlin. This will be fun, Len. I promise.”

As they exited the SUV and strolled inside the posh restaurant, Len murmured, “Your eternal optimism is one of the things I love the most about you.”

Barry’s stomach swooped with delight, but he refrained from replying since the hostess had spotted them. Barry even pretended not to notice when Len surreptitiously passed a gold coin to her before she eagerly led them to their table. When he had made these reservations, Barry had chosen this restaurant in particular for the sole reason that it was owned by Len himself. That way, his stubborn boyfriend would feel obligated to go. He had known Len would balk at “hanging out” with Barry’s friends, but he refused to live any part of his life without Len.

Barry had almost lost him for good a few months past when Savitar had nearly succeeded in killing Len. Thankfully, his friends had worked together to save his love’s life, and Barry felt like he had a second chance. He was determined to forge a new life that was centered around his love for Len, and that meant that wherever Barry went, so did Len. He dragged Len to every family gathering with the Wests, invited his friends over to their home, and generally forced his family and friends to accept his choice of partner. Len had behaved himself for the most part, but it never failed that his wicked sense of humor and flair for dramatics would cause some type of reaction from either Iris or Cisco. The only thing that kept Barry from getting pissed was the twinkle of merriment in Len’s eyes whenever he managed to make Cisco curse in Spanish or Iris to point her finger in his face. While he delighted in pushing their buttons, Len always toed the line and never pushed Barry’s hot-headed friends into true anger.

As they rounded the corner into a private alcove booth, Barry’s lips split in a grin at the sight that met his eyes. Cisco looked trendy and handsome in his black pants and matching vest over a white button-down shirt that splayed open at the neck. His dark wavy hair was tucked behind his ears and his chocolate brown eyes were squinting with pique as he turned his Corona up to drain the bottle. He was watching Caitlin Snow and Lisa Snart snuggle in tight to each other while very obviously making it clear they didn’t welcome Cisco within their midst. It was apparent to both Barry and Len that they were walking into a domestic dispute.

“Oh, goody. Trouble in threesome paradise,” Len drawled softly to Barry as the hostess abandoned them at the door.

Barry watched the tense show of his three friends for a moment and replied under his breath, “It will be fine. I’m sure they’ll work it out and we’ll all have a great time. It will be just fine.”

Len raised his eyebrow and leaned in to brush his lips against Barry’s ear to murmur, “They haven’t noticed us yet. We still have time to leave and go back home to do that thing we did last night.”

Barry closed his eyes and flashes of vivid memories and sensations rocked him to the core. He relived the exquisite passion of Len holding Barry captive by his hands alone as he fucked Barry hard against the bed. The speed force shocked him with iridescent blue lightning as he recalled the feel of Len caging him in from behind and possessing Barry completely, body and soul. He could feel his traitorous cock grow hard against his thigh, and he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He shivered as Len’s dark chuckle ghosted across his ear, and he savored the woodsy, clean scent of Len’s cologne.

“You are such a bastard sometimes, Len,” Barry gritted out through his teeth. “Stop tempting me. You’re the one that keeps harping about us working as a team. That means that we have to be a team both on and off the job.”

Len’s sigh was full of heavy resignation. He paused to place a steamy kiss against Barry’s pulse before pulling away. “At the end of this night, don’t say I didn’t try to warn you. The five of us together, paired with alcohol, cannot end well. I suggest you keep Kimi Sato’s number on speed dial for the night.”

Barry rolled his eyes and surreptitiously adjusted his erection as they started toward the table and near-certain drama. “When it comes to your sister, Len, I always do.”


	2. Chapter 2

Half an hour later, Barry’s famous optimism was already beginning to wane. The atmosphere between Cisco, Lisa, and Caitlin was fraught with tension and frustration, and it didn’t seem as if there would be an end to the hostilities any time soon. After greeting everyone with false cheer and taking their seats, the conversation between the five of them had remained stilted and forced with the exception of Lisa. Lisa refused to so much as look at Cisco as she peppered her speech with thinly-veiled barbs that were clearly meant for Cisco while she sipped from a cocktail glass filled with cloudy, pale yellow concoction that was garnished with a twist of orange peel. He could only imagine what dangerous liquor was contained within, and decided to keep tally of how many of them the emotionally unstable woman imbibed.

The stress of the situation was making Barry nervous, but his courage and love for his friends forced him to intervene. “So, uh, how are you three adjusting to living under the same roof together?”

His eyes bounced from Cisco, to Caitlin, to Lisa and back again before any of them spoke. Caitlin, with a light of desperation in her eyes, offered a wobbly smile and replied lightly, “Oh, you know how it is, Barry. There’s always a bit of…adjustment that needs to be done when you take a step this big.”

Cisco snorted darkly and began to fidget with the empty beer bottle by his hand. “Yeah. Adjustments.”

Barry exchanged a wary glance with Len, but he looked away quickly as he read Len’s thoughts in the twinkling of his eyes and the raised eyebrow that mocked him louder than words. Taking a deep breath, Barry waded in once more. “I think I’m detecting a bit of an issue here. Is there anything I can do to help?”

Barry winced as Len’s foot connected to his shin, but he ignored his lover’s warning to back off. Lisa dabbed at her ruby lips with a gold-tipped nail before answering, “That’s very sweet of you, Barry, but I doubt you’ll be able to help. You see, Cisco says he doesn’t want to have children with us. He doesn’t think I will be a good mother.”

From the corner of his eye, he could see Len watching his sister with intense scrutiny, and it dawned on him that Lisa wouldn’t look at Len, either. He had witnessed the siblings together enough to know that they were incredibly close to each other, even with all the bickering and name-calling between them. Lisa was hiding something from her brother, and Len knew it.

Before Barry could offer an answer, Cisco jumped in to defend himself. “Lisa, come on! I have never said that I don’t want kids. I love kids! I was just trying to explain that our lives are too dangerous to think about bringing kids into the equation right now. We’re still trying to figure out how to have a three-person relationship, and adding kids to that is not a wise move right now. And, I never said you wouldn’t be a good mother. I just said that you didn’t have the experience quite yet. Kids are difficult. Take it from me; I have a huge extended family and they are a handful.”

Caitlin’s eyes inexplicably welled up with tears, and she frantically waved down their waiter. When she caught his eye, she lifted up an empty shot glass and mimed “two” with her fingers. “You guys,” Caitlin interrupted, her voice choked with misery, “We are supposed to be having a fun night out with our friends. Can’t we forget about this for at least a few hours?”

Surprisingly, Len was the one to step into the breach. “Perhaps we should reschedule for another night when everyone isn’t so…upset. Lisa, my dear, don’t you think you’re being a bit hard on Cisco? Not that I’m taking his side, mind you. It just seems like you are particularly bothered by this tonight.”

Lisa didn’t meet her brother’s eyes as she sipped at her fruity cocktail with furrowed brows. “We are not going to reschedule. It’s hard enough for all of us to clear our schedules, so we are going to have a good time even if it kills us. I’ll behave, I promise.”

Barry couldn’t escape the thought that there was an underlying issue that still hadn’t been excised, but his follow-up questions were interrupted by the waiter who had arrived with Caitlin’s two shots of tequila, a small bowl of limes, and their meals. Barry’s mouth flooded with drool as the scent of tomatoes, basil, and garlic teased his nose as his plate of pasta Vincenzo was placed in front of him. Len graciously accepted his lobster ravioli, Cisco immediately dug into his lasagna, Caitlin ignored her serving of chicken alfredo in favor of her liquor, and Lisa listlessly pushed her manicotti around the plate with her fork.

The rest of the meal went by in awkward silence punctuated only by forced attempts at conversation by Barry. He soon abandoned the fruitless gesture, and instead focused on his meal. He was done before everyone else, and he eyed Lisa’s untouched pasta stuffed with ricotta and parmigiana. Before he could even ask, she slid the plate across the table toward him.

“Here, you eat it, Red,” Lisa offered him. Her lips were pinched at the corners, and her expressive blue eyes were clouded with an unnamed emotion.

Barry didn’t even pause before he dug into her meal, but he was cognizant enough to hear Len remark carefully, “Lisa, why aren’t you eating? Manicotti is your favorite.”

Without meeting his eyes, she shrugged and picked up a thin, crispy breadstick with the consistency of a cracker and nibbled on the end of it. “I’m just not that hungry, Lenny. Mind your own business.”

Barry glanced at his love and watched as Len’s eyebrow climbed up his forehead. “Lest you forget, my dear, your health and well-being have been my business since you were born.” He paused to slant a dangerous look at Cisco, and added, “Others would do well to remember that.”

Cisco rolled his eyes and looked down at his watch. “Wow, this is a new record. You went a whole 45 minutes in my company without threatening me over your sister, Len. Your restraint is commendable, but still not appreciated,” he remarked with sour sarcasm.

Caitlin’s body was weaving to the tune of silent music, and her expressive eyes were cloudy and unfocused. Her words were slurred when she abruptly announced, “You know what I want to do after dinner? I want to dance. Can we go someplace where they have music, Barry? Really, really loud music?”

Barry glanced nervously over at Len, but his love was stubbornly silent as his pale blue eyes tracked from his sister to Cisco and back again. Barry wiped the marinara sauce from his lips with his napkin and cleared his throat before replying, “Uh, sure. Yeah, we can do that. How about we head over to that new place…what is it called? Siren’s Lounge?”

Caitlin clapped her hands and her voice was a touch too loud when she replied with forced enthusiasm, “Yes! That’s perfect, Barry! Don’t they have a dance floor on one side and a karaoke lounge on the other? I would love to hear you sing tonight.”

Barry fought back the slight blush that crept up his cheeks, and he could feel Len’s gaze burning holes in his head. Len cut in to ask, “You sing, Scarlet? How have I never heard you sing before?”

Lisa’s tone was waspish as she snapped, “Probably because you can’t keep your lips from latching onto his for more than five minutes.”

Cisco pushed his plate back and hailed the waiter. “You know what? I think that’s a great idea. We need music. Really loud music.”

Within ten more minutes, the five of them walked out of the restaurant together and they all piled into Len’s SUV. He tried to get his sister to sit in front with him, but she steadfastly refused, and insisted Cisco sit in the front so she could snuggle between a buzzed Caitlin and a confused Barry. He was even more taken aback when Lisa lay her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. He met Caitlin’s eyes across Lisa’s weary figure and the misery in his best friend’s eyes stole his breath. He opened his mouth to ask her what was going on, but she preempted him by shaking her head and nodding toward Cisco and mouthed _“Later.”_

Barry nodded reluctantly and adjusted himself to make Lisa more comfortable by placing his arm around her shoulder and tucking her into his side. It felt strange to hold the volatile woman like this, especially since their own relationship was often fraught with antagonism and chaos, but he could tell she needed him. Who was Barry to refuse? If there was one thing Barry was good at, it was helping those in need even if it was just to offer a shoulder to rest upon to the young woman who scared him more than any meta human villain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I have lots of free time over the next few days, so I'm hoping to update more quickly. Remember, this is meant to be a short story, so it may only be a few chapters long! Hope you are enjoying the slow buildup to the main drama! Because where Lisa Snart is going to be, there will be drama, too! Have a wonderful, lovely spring day, my friends!**


	3. Chapter 3

The music was pumping as they made their way through the crowd to find an empty table on the karaoke side of the lounge. Barry and Cisco saddled up to the table and shared equally disgusted looks as some drunk guy wailed into the microphone while completely butchering Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Len had agreed to purchase the first round, so he parted company with them to head to the bar, and the two women had made a beeline for the over-crowded lady’s restroom. That left Barry with a prime opportunity to pry into his best friend’s life freely.

“Dude, seriously, what the hell is going on with you guys? I thought everything was paradise for you three. Like, only two days ago. What the fuck did you do?” Barry asked his friend bluntly. Time was of the essence, and he needed maximum information in minimum time.

Cisco’s face crumpled and Barry glimpsed that rare vulnerable side to his friend. Cisco Ramon was a master at masking his feelings with sarcasm and snark, but Barry knew that his friend was hurting. Cisco was in love with both of those women, and it had to be twice as hard to handle when they were both upset with him.

Cisco verified Barry’s suspicions without preamble. “I have no fucking idea, Bare. I swear to you, everything was great just two days ago. Now, Lisa is pissed and defensive, and Caity is torn between tears and acting protective of Lisa from me. From ME! I don’t get it, man. Something is very wrong right now, but neither of them will talk to me about it.”

Barry snapped his head back with surprise. If Cisco had no idea what he had done wrong, then that meant the two women were keeping a secret. “Think, Cisco. What were the three of you talking about when all this started?”

Cisco spared an annoyed glance at the stage where an aging rock-n-roll goddess was crooning “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac before he rubbed his forehead wearily. “We were having a great night. Caitlin and Lisa had spent the day together while I worked in the lab, and when I got home, they had prepared a nice dinner. I’m talking candles and gourmet meal kind of fancy. Believe me, I already know how ridiculously lucky I am, so I was very appreciative.”

Barry sighed and rolled his hand impatiently. “Yeah, yeah, poor you with your two hot girlfriends. What did they talk about? Anything unusual?”

Cisco nodded and tucked a stray lock of dark hair behind his ear. “Yeah, that’s when they hit me with the whole ‘having kids’ thing. I’ll be honest with you, man. I freaked. I’m not even used to having a girlfriend, much less two of them, especially now that we’ve moved in together. Just the thought of adding a baby to all that made me panic. I may have reacted a bit…negatively at the topic.”

Barry groaned and palmed his face. “Dude, what the hell? What did you say?”

Cisco winced and admitted reluctantly, “I kinda said that we shouldn’t even think about it right now. I went into great detail about all the reasons why it would be a bad idea. I must have ranted for about ten minutes before I realized that neither of them were talking back. Caity’s eyes had welled up with tears, and Lisa had gone pale like she had seen a ghost. From that point on, neither of them will really talk to me, and even worse, they moved to a different bedroom. What the fuck do I do now?”

The sound of glasses clinking on to the table made Barry and Cisco glance up with guilty expressions. Len’s eyes were locked on Cisco’s as he drawled, “You make it right, Cisco. That is what real men do, and I suggest you act quickly.” He paused to allow Cisco to see the threat lingering in the air between them before he turned to Barry and said lightly, “I believe you owe me a song, Scarlet.”

Barry’s cheeks turned warm with a flush and he nodded shakily. With a sigh of relief, he saw Caitlin and Lisa approaching the table. Cait was holding two shots of tequila that were sloshing over her hands while Lisa helped steady her with an arm around her waist. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Caitlin was already three sheets to the wind, and the thought alarmed Barry. It wasn’t like Caitlin to lose control. In fact, his stubborn friend had become even more rigid in her self-control since she had successfully integrated the Killer Frost personality with her own. Barry eyed the two shots with doubt, and hoped that Caitlin’s control held in spite of them.

Barry stood to his feet and helped the two women get settled into their seats. Caitlin shouted “Woo hoo!” as the Stevie Nicks wannabe concluded her song and exited the stage. Lisa settled herself primly in her seat between Cisco and Len, and eyed the fruity cocktail sitting in front of her. She glanced at her brother with a question in her eye, and Len smiled evilly and announced, “I got this round, baby sis. It’s your favorite: Sex on the Beach.”

Lisa’s chin went up and she kept her eyes on the glass as she reached forward to pick it up. She brought it to her nose and sniffed delicately, before she replied tartly, “That’s what you get for thinking you know me so well, Lenny. I haven’t had this drink for two years since that time Shauna and I partied in Star City and were arrested for public indecency.” She stood gracefully back to her feet in her ruby red high heels and patted his shoulder as she turned away. “Don’t worry, big brother. I’ll fix it myself. I’m all grown up like that.”

Barry watched with fascination as the slinky bad girl strutted away toward the bar with the untouched drink swinging from her manicured fingertips. He glanced at Len for his reaction, and read a mixture of pride and frustration on his love’s face. Len was playing a game with his sister, and from what Barry could tell, she was winning it.

Cisco stood abruptly to his feet and announced, “I’ll, uh, I’ll be right back. I’m just going to go with her to, uh…” he trailed off helplessly.

Barry rolled his eyes and tipped his head. “Go on, man. You got this.”

Before his friend could turn away, Caitlin called out, “Sisso! Kissco! Fuck! _Cisco_!” She paused to thrust her empty shot glasses at him and demanded, “Get me two more of these. Be careful! They try to _trick_ you by giving you full shots, but they _disappear_ before you get back to your table,” she explained with unfocused seriousness.

Cisco gave her side-eye and replied, “You sure about that, Caity? I can get you a water, if you’d rather have that.”

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say, because Caitlin scowled and made a rude noise. “You think I don’t know what I’m doing, Kissco?” she slurred angrily. “I am _actively_ trying to get drunk here, and _yoooou_ are not going to stop me. Got it?”

Cisco immediately raised his hands in surrender. “Got it, Caity. Two shots of tequila coming right up.”

Barry ignored the smirk of amusement on Len’s face as Caitlin leaned in to yell into Barry’s ear. “Oh, yeah! I put your name in, Barry! You’re going to sing a song for us! Woooooo!” she wailed before pulling back to offer Len a drunken high-five. Len good-naturedly returned her enthusiasm with a palm slap and gifted Barry with one Len’s patented bad-boy-sexy-motherfucker look that never failed to make Barry hard. This time was no different.

Before he could offer a protest, however, the DJ’s voice cut through the noisy, raucous crowd. “Alright! One last round of applause for Susan for that inspired rendition of Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’!” He paused to let everyone, including Barry, offer their polite clapping before he continued, “And now, I’d like to introduce a new singer to our stage. I have been assured by a beautiful, drunken brunette that this next performer will blow you away! Welcome to the stage, Barry Allen!”

Barry sat in silent stupor as Caitlin released another spirited “Whooooo hoooooo, Barry!” and Len watched him with anticipation in his predatory gaze. He snapped out of his trance long enough to grab Caitlin’s arm and demand, “Cait, what did you do?”

Caitlin snagged Barry’s untouched glass of scotch and tossed it back before she croaked, “I guess you’ll see, won’t you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'm having too much fun with this story! I hope you guys are, too! Thank you so much for all the amazing feedback from friends both new and old. You guys have remained awesome and enthusiastic, and you have no idea how much fuel that gives me to keep going. I'm writing fast, so I'm hoping to have more to post tomorrow. I'll respond to everyone first thing in the morning, I swear!**


	4. Chapter 4

As Barry made his way slowly to the stage, he knew everyone in the crowded lounge was watching him, but he could only feel the heavy gaze of Len settling on him like a cloak. He just prayed that whichever song Caitlin had chosen would be one that he actually knew, because he had no desire to make a fool of himself any more than usual.

He accepted the microphone reluctantly from the grinning DJ who said, “Good luck, kid. It’s an ambitious song. I hope you do it justice.”

Barry’s stomach sank. Of course his intoxicated friend would choose a difficult song. He paused in front of the prompter and read the title of the song and inwardly groaned. The song was a classic, beloved by everyone, and also vocally challenging. Thankfully, he knew the song well, and took a deep breath as the spotlight blinded him from seeing too much of the crowd.

He cleared his throat, and before the song began to play, he spoke into the microphone. “Uh, this song goes out to one special person. You know who you are.”

The audience cheered as the song started up and Barry began to sing:

_Whoa….my love,_

_My darling,_

_I’ve hungered for your touch_

_Alone…_

Barry knew the words to “Unchained Melody” by heart, so he didn’t have to rely on the prompter to feed him the words. This freed him up to search across the crowd, and he was surprised to see several couples dancing on the small floor in front of the stage. He located Len swaying with his sister, who still wouldn’t deign to look at him, and Cisco was doing his best to keep Caitlin from falling on her ass as they swayed to the music. Barry caught Len’s gaze and he felt his confidence soar at the obvious appreciation and pride glowing in his lover’s pale blue eyes.

He didn’t even hesitate as his voice swelled to hit the tricky high note during the line:

_…And time can do so much,_

_Are you still mine?_

_I need your love_

_I…I need your love_

_God-speed your love_

_To me…_

It didn’t even bother him when Caitlin began to drunkenly sing along with him as Cisco did his best to shush her. Nothing else mattered but holding Len’s gaze as he continued to sing the classic love song like they were the only two in the room. He hit every single high note, and his voice swelled with emotion as the crowd erupted into appreciative shouts and applause, but still Barry paid no heed. He was too busy drowning in Len’s smile.

As the final bars of music drifted away, Barry blinked and lowered the microphone. As if someone had turned the volume up, he heard the crowd of people cheering and clapping. Cisco placed his thumb and finger in his mouth and released a high-pitched whistle while Caitlin “Whoo hoo”ed, and even Lisa gifted him with a saucy wink of approval as she clapped. As he descended the stairs from the stage, though, he was shocked to find Len there waiting for him. Without pausing or giving any thought to their audience, Len pulled Barry in by a hand on his neck, and placed a hard, thorough kiss against Barry’s lips.

When Len eventually released him, Barry could hear catcalls and more shouting from the crowd, but he only had eyes for Len as he asked humorously, “So, you liked it?”

Len threaded his fingers through Barry’s and led him back to their table, trailed by Lisa, Caitlin, and Cisco. “Like it? That was phenomenal, Scarlet. I just wish I had known sooner. I think you owe me quite a few songs now.”

Barry, even though he loved Len’s praise, was still eager to pass the spotlight to others. “Actually, Cisco is quite talented, too. He used to perform in his college musicals.”

Len didn’t look impressed by the idea, and Lisa pointedly turned away. Caitlin, however, was on her feet and heading determinedly toward the bar. Before Cisco could follow after her, Barry shook his head at him and decided to head his friend off before she could consume even more alcohol. He caught up to her at the bar where she was frantically waving a $20 bill at the bartender who was purposely ignoring her as he tended to less drunken patrons.

Barry wound his arm around her small waist and leaned in to her ear to say, “Hey, Cait. I need some fresh air after that performance. Will you walk outside with me for a minute so I can clear my head?”

Caitlin glanced at Barry, and he tried not to laugh as her eyes crossed before focusing on him. “Pssht, ‘snot like you need me to protect you, Barry. You’re the freaking FLASH, for God’s sake!”

Barry clapped his hand over her mouth and glanced around quickly to make sure no one heard her announcement. “Shhh! Okay, look, you clearly have something weighing on your mind, and I want to help. Please come outside with me and talk before you lose control of your powers.”

A dangerous glint sparked in her midnight blue eyes and her shell pink lips quirked at the corners. “You mean like this?” she asked, her tone falsely innocent as she touched the bar top with one finger.

Furry, sparkling frost spread along the surface of the bar like wildfire. Patrons jumped back and some of them shrieked as their bottles of beer and margarita glasses began to shatter due to the frozen liquid inside them. Caitlin laughed with careless abandon as everyone scrambled away from the frosty bar while looking around for the culprit.

Before Caitlin could get them into any more trouble, he tightened his grip on her waist and _ran_. Barely more than a second later, the two of them were standing in the shadows of the dark parking lot, and Barry automatically reached out to steady his drunk friend. Unfortunately, the excessive alcohol in her system didn’t take well to the speed of their departure, and Caitlin turned green before doubling over to puke in the bushes with loud, heaving lurches.

Barry grimaced and reached down to pull her hair back and rubbed small, comforting circles in her back until she finally calmed down and had emptied her stomach. His heart squeezed with sympathy at the look of utter misery on his friend’s face. She was crying pitifully and her mascara was running down her face. Something had to be very wrong for Caitlin Snow to be this upset.

He helped her sit on the clean grass and held his finger up. “Stay here, okay? I’ll be right back.” True to his word, he was back seconds later with damp paper towels to clean her hands and face, and a bottle of water. He handed both of them to her wordlessly, and she made use of the towels before twisting open the water. She swished some in her mouth and spit it back out before taking a long, deep drink of the cool water.

Barry settled down next to her and offered a sheepish smile. “Sorry about that, Cait. I didn’t stop to think about what the speed force would do to you after drinking so much.”

Caitlin shook her head sadly and cleared her throat before replying, “No, you did the right thing, Barry. I was already perilously close to out of control in there. Thank you for stopping me.”

Barry’s arm flashed out to pull Caitlin into his side as the young woman began to cry into her hands. His voice was soft with alarm and concern as he entreated her, “Caitlin, what’s wrong? I haven’t seen you this upset in a long time. Let me help you.”

Caitlin’s shoulders shook with her grief, and her voice was choked with tears when she replied, “You can’t help me, Barry. Not really. You see, Lisa is pregnant. We found out two days ago.”

Barry sucked in a shocked breath, but as he thought back on the night, everything began to click into place until he finally understood. He wracked his brain on the right thing to say before cautiously offering, “Well, that’s a good thing, right? I mean, I know Lisa can be a little scary, but she has the two of you to help, right?”

Caitlin’s laughter was brittle and hysterical. “Oh, yeah. Cisco will be a big help. He panicked at just the mention of having kids and spent the better part of ten minutes telling us all the reasons it would be foolish to even think about it. He said he wasn’t ready to have kids and didn’t know that he ever would be ready. Then, to top it off, he told Lisa that she wouldn’t know what to do with a baby, because she had never had any experience with them. It was awful.”

Barry threw his head back and groaned. “What an idiot. Caitlin, you said it yourself. He panicked. He knows it, you guys know it, and now I know it. He wants to make it right, but he says neither of you will talk to him about it. Give him a chance to do the right thing, because I know that he will be over the moon once he gets over the initial shock.”

Caitlin nodded miserably. “I know that, Barry, but Lisa is hurt. You know how stubborn she can be, and she swore me to silence until she figures out what she wants to do.”

Barry watched his friend closely and tracked the speeding drops of her tears down her cheeks. “Something tells me that there’s more to this story. Why are you really crying, Cait?”

She swallowed thickly and her voice caught on a sob when she replied, “After I did Lisa’s bloodwork that confirmed her condition, I ran some tests on me, too. I haven’t had a period in months, so I thought maybe…”

“You thought you might be pregnant, too,” Barry guessed astutely.

Caitlin sobbed into her hand and nodded. “Turns out, I’m not. Everything inside me is just… _frozen_. I mean that literally and physically. As long as I have these powers, I will never be able to have a baby of my own. I…I haven’t told either of them yet. It hurts too much right now, and I don’t want to add more of a burden on Lisa.”

She broke down into noisy sobs and Barry cradled her against his chest. His heart hurt for his friend, but he knew he needed to say something to make her feel better, but he felt woefully inadequate to console her. Desperation drove him to speak anyway, and he ran his hands up and down her back as he said, “Cait, I am so sorry, but you shouldn’t be carrying this all by yourself. You need to talk to them and trust them to help and comfort you. That’s what partners are for, right? I understand that you are grieving, but it’s not good for any of you to shut them out like this. Please, please tell me you’ll talk to them about this.”

Caitlin pulled back and swiped away her tears before offering Barry a wobbly smile. “Oh, I will eventually, Barry. But first, I have to convince Lisa to confess about the baby to Cisco…and her brother.”

Barry winced and silently thought that Len already had an idea about what was really going on. He suddenly understood why Len had played the game with the drink, but Lisa had been too smart to fall for it. A sudden thought had him blurting, “What was she drinking at the restaurant? It looked like a cocktail.”

Caitlin snorted and shook her head. “Nope, just pineapple juice. I’m drinking for both of us now.”

Barry stood to his feet and offered his friend a hand in order to help her to her feet. She was still off-balance from the tequila, but she righted herself quickly enough. “Come on, Cait. Let’s go round everyone up and call it a night. I think the three of you have a lot to talk about.”

Caitlin nodded and fell into step beside him. Before they made it halfway across the parking lot, though, the doors to the lounge were flung open and people began to stream out in waves of terrified yelling as they pushed and shoved each other out of the way. Barry snagged a dude by the arm and swung him around and shouted, “What’s going on?”

The guy’s eyes were wide with shock, but he replied readily, “There’s a huge fight going on inside, man. Two dudes are wailing on each other over some hot chick. Normally, I like a good fight, but one of them must be a meta, because shit is flying around everywhere in there.”

Barry released the panicked man and met Caitlin’s shocked expression. “Well, it looks like the secret is out now.”

Caitlin grabbed Barry’s arm and pulled him toward the rapidly emptying lounge. “I’m not nearly drunk enough for this. Let’s go before our boyfriends kill each other.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Oh, no! Shit's getting crazy up here! I'll be working more tonight, so I'll have more to post soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

Barry and Caitlin skidded to a stop just inside the doors of the karaoke lounge. With reflexes borne of the speed force, he took in the scene in a fraction of a second. Len was stalking across the room toward Cisco with cold, deadly intent. He was sporting a dripping head wound and his knuckles were split and swollen, and his dress suit was no longer immaculate. Chairs and tables were toppled across the empty room, and the floor was covered with shattered glass and sticky alcohol. Cisco was holding his ground defiantly, even though Barry could see the flicker of fear in his dark chocolate eyes, one of which was already swelling shut. A dribble of blood flowed down from his nose to paint an obscene trail of scarlet across his lips, but he swiped it away with the sleeve of his torn shirt. Lisa was sitting on a bar stool, calmly sipping from a can of Sprite, as she watched the show with apparent disinterest.

“You know,” Len’s voice cut through the tension of the room like a razor made of ice, “I have never liked you, Cisco, and yet, I was willing to suffer your company and existence for the sake of my sister. So little of her life has been happy, so when I felt like you were achieving that goal, I convinced myself to try to find some redeeming quality in you. Fortunately for you, the one redeeming quality I found was that you seemed to genuinely love her and make her happy. Unfortunately for you, that no longer seems to be the case.”

Cisco tensed and balled his fists at his side. “I can’t apologize if I don’t know what I did wrong, you _pinche pendejo_!” Cisco growled, his dark skin flushing with anger as his chest heaved for breath.

Barry and Caitlin reflexively grabbed on to each other. Somehow, both of them just knew that everything was about to explode. Barry should have known who would pull the pin from the grenade. Of course, it had to be Lisa.

She took a noisy slurp of her clear soda and called out, “I believe that Len is talking about the fact that I am pregnant with your baby which you apparently don’t want. It only took my brother two hours to figure out what you still hadn’t realized after two days.” She used her nail to flick the tab on the can, and the resounding  _pop_ ricocheted across the silent room. “Congratulations, baby. You’re going to be a daddy.”

Cisco’s mouth was hanging open with shock when Len’s fist crashed against his jaw with a loud crack. Barry’s muscles tensed in preparation of separating the two of them, but Caitlin gripped his arm tightly and shook her head. Her eyebrows were lowered with concern, but her tone was confident when she said, “No, Barry. You have to let the two of them work this out between them. Cisco will never feel like Len’s equal if you have to rush in to save him all the time.”

Barry sighed and relaxed the churning speed force inside of him. “I hate to admit it, but you’re right. Len will never respect Cisco or his place in Lisa’s life unless Cisco forces him to. I won’t let them seriously hurt each other, though.”

Before she could respond, Len was thrown back into a pile of chairs by a concussive force that swept him off his feet and launched him through the air. Cisco staggered to a standing position and used his tongue to wiggle a loose tooth. He spit out a mouthful of blood and snarled, “This doesn’t concern you, Snart. Lisa is _my_ family now, and _my_ family consists of me, Lisa, Caitlin, and now this baby.” He spread his hand out wide and glared down the barrels of his fingertips and snapped, “Back off and let me fix my family.”

Len began to struggle to his feet and Barry tensed for another bloody exchange, but Cisco took two big steps forward and shot a vibe from his fingertips. The force of his power pinned Len to the spot, and he was held immobile by the pulsing, iridescent waves flowing from Cisco’s fingertips with a gentle _hum_. Cisco and Len locked eyes in a battle of wills as Cisco snarled, “Stay. Down. Len. If you interfere again, I’m going to do something I won’t regret, but it may make the holidays a little awkward for everyone.”

Len’s expression blanked and he quit struggling against the immovable vibes. When Cisco was satisfied that Len wasn’t going to jump up and attack, he dropped his hand and his power. No one in the room moved from their frozen tableau until Len rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms out before propping them behind his head. He made himself as comfortable as he could be sprawled across toppled chairs and tables, and closed his eyes as if he were taking a leisurely afternoon nap.

Barry sighed in profound relief, and he didn’t even notice the rapidly-healing marks from where Caitlin had dug furrows in his arm with her fingernails. Cisco turned his back on Len and limped across the lounge until he stood in front of Lisa. Tears were rolling down her cheeks like fairy tale waterfalls, somehow turning her even lovelier in spite of them. Without a word, Cisco reached up to brush away her tears before cupping her face in his palm.

“Come home with us, _mam_ _í_ ,” he rumbled softly between his split lips. “We’ve got a lot to talk about, yeah?”

Lisa nodded eagerly before throwing herself in his arms and squeezing him tight. Cisco didn’t make a sound as he held her back just as fiercely, but Barry could see the wince of pain creasing his friend’s face. Cisco murmured quietly in her ear, mostly in Spanish, but she nodded her agreement against his neck. Barry glanced down to see Caitlin’s reaction, and his gut clenched at the stark landscape of emotion that chased across her face like dark clouds. He could read desire, grief, loss, fear, and desperation in the depths of her swirling eyes. He knew the alcohol she had imbibed wasn’t helping her, and he knew he had to do something to erase that look and the impending storm.

Barry reached out and took her hand. Her skin burned his like dry ice against the warmth of his palm, but he only held on tighter. Caitlin dragged her tortured gaze away from her two lovers and met Barry’s own without tears. Not only was she cold to the touch, but her breath fogged the air with ice crystals. He could see her slipping down beneath the ice once more, but he refused to let it happen again. He would never allow Caitlin to fall ever again.

“Trust, Caitlin. Trust that this is happening for you, too. You may not be able to bear a child right now, but you are still going to have a baby. Haven’t you already been bearing the burden with her for two days now while shouldering your own grief? She needs you, Cait. She relies on you. And Cisco? Are you kidding me? He’s been in love with you for years. That’s not going to change. Trust them,” he whispered as his fingers turned numb and dark blue.

Caitlin’s breath shuddered out of her lungs on an arctic wind that left his eyelashes frozen and his skin peppered with tiny cuts from the chips of ice on her breath. Her lips turned midnight blue and eyes paled as searched Barry’s face for help. “But, what if-“

“No,” Barry grit out between his chattering teeth. “That’s not trust. That’s doubt. There’s no room for that anymore, Caitlin. Cisco already said it for everyone to hear. There’s Cisco, Lisa, _you_ , and now the baby that belongs to his family. So, why are you still standing here with me?”

Caitlin stumbled away from Barry, dropping his hand in the process. Her skin flushed with color, her lips faded back to shell pink, and her irises darkened back into the indigo blue that had become her new norm. Barry shook out his tingling fingers, and gratefully allowed the speed force to race through his body healing the damage from Caitlin’s ice. It still hurt like a bitch to suffer through the process, but at least it didn’t last very long at all.

Caitlin, without another word, spun on her heel and hurried over to where Cisco was still hugging a softly weeping Lisa. As if it were an instinctual reaction, the two of them separated and pulled Caitlin into their midst where the three of them could touch and whisper with each other. Barry allowed himself an extra ten seconds to enjoy the dramatic, yet romantic, moment before he strolled across the floor to stand over Len.

Len was still in his comfortable pose with his eyes shut. Barry couldn’t tell if they were closed because they were both swollen shut, or if Len were keeping them closed to take a rest. Either way, Len didn’t open his eyes when he said, “Have they left yet?”

Barry chuckled and glanced over his shoulder. He tipped his head in acknowledgment of Cisco’s wave as the injured hero limped out the door supported by both women. He turned back to his love and confirmed, “Yep. Just walked out the door. Need a hand up?”

Len hummed in thought, still with his eyes closed, and finally replied, “It would be easier on me physically if you helped, but it would be murder to my already bruised ego if I accepted. I can do this. Just give me a minute.”

Barry shook his head with amusement at Len’s stubbornness. A minute later, just as he was about to reach down and help him anyway, Len began to move. It took him approximately two painful minutes to gain his feet, but he did it on his own with lots of groaning and cursing Cisco’s name. He refused all help from Barry until he had stopped swaying on his feet, but he was wise enough to accept Barry’s assistance with walking.

It was slow progress through the abandoned lounge, and it gave Barry the opportunity to survey the damage. Everything he looked at was either bent or broken, including the rows of liquor bottles behind the bar. “This is going to cost a lot of money to fix,” he warned Len sternly. “What were you thinking attacking Cisco in the middle of a crowded bar?”

Len’s hand trailed down Barry’s side until he snuck down far enough to cup Barry’s ass. He squeezed playfully before replying, “I was thinking that he had knocked up my baby sister and that he had broken her heart like our father had so many times before. I was thinking that he had one chance to prove to me what his intentions were with my sister, and he rose to the challenge admirably. I was also thinking that I since I owned this bar, it wouldn’t cost as much to fix it back up. I have great insurance.”

Barry shook his head with mock disgust. As they drew closer to the front door of the clubs, though, all humor was erased from his expression. The wail of multiple sirens alerted them to the presence of Central City’s finest. Barry and Len both came to a halt before walking out the doors and into certain trouble.

“Oh, shit,” Barry breathed. “Joe’s going to freak if this makes it back to him. Let me run you out the back door so no one sees you.”

Len, unlike Barry, hadn’t lost his sense of humor over their dire situation. “I would much rather you kiss me instead.”

Barry glanced at Len as if he were crazy. “Are you crazy? You could be arrested, and then they would have your fingerprints. They would know your real name-“ he argued, panic at losing Len making him shake.

Len straightened up to his full height and looked deep into Barry’s eyes. “I want you to _kiss_ me.”

Barry’s eyes widened with surprise as he gleaned Len’s meaning. “Oh! You mean, _kiss_ you.”

Len’s split lip cracked open with his smile, but Barry didn’t allow the first droplet of blood to form before he slanted his lips across Len’s in a hard kiss. He poured every bit of his love and longing through that kiss, and only seconds later, the room began to glow a soft blue behind his closed eyelids. The speed force spilled out of Barry’s body everywhere their skin touched and began to race across Len’s skin with electric shocks of healing touches. Len’s stiff body relaxed into Barry’s hold, and he brought his arms up to pull Barry in tighter. In the back of his mind, Barry knew they didn’t have much longer before the police came inside, so he reluctantly pulled away.

He was still dizzy from the power of their kiss when he gasped, “Fix your clothes. I’ll get something for the blood.”

By the time Barry had returned four seconds later, Len had already tucked in his shirt and hidden the bloodstains by buttoning his suit jacket across his waist. Barry used the steaming hot bar cloth to scrub away any remaining blood from the healed wounds. In just a few moments, Len was entirely presentable and uninjured, at least in the darkness of the parking lot. Barry hastily stashed the bloody cloth inside a potted plant and followed Len’s lead as he strode confidently toward the door and the police.

“Are you sure about this?” Barry asked one last time.

Len pushed the door open and held it wide for Barry to walk through. His eyebrow rose with cocky swagger as he replied, “Trust, Barry. Not doubt. Remember?”

Barry flashed his lover a secret smile and followed Len outside to face the music. He just hoped that Len knew all the words to this song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Dang! I'm getting through this one fast! Only one more chapter of this little ficlet, guys! Thanks for being awesome and chill about this gratuitously dramatic story. I've had so much fun! It makes me happy that you all seem to get a kick out of it, too. You rock!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **This last chapter goes out to cool kid Wendy for suggesting Barry sing "Running Home to You". I went back and listened to Grant Gustin sing it on YouTube, and it was just perfect. Thank you for asking for this song. I hope you enjoy the way it is used.**

As they pulled out of the parking lot an hour later, Barry glanced over at Len’s smug smile and frowned. “You know, for a non-meta human, you are the most frightening person I’ve ever met.”

Len snorted. “You give me too much credit, Scarlet. I am merely…resourceful.”

This time, it was Barry’s turn to make a rude noise. “No, really. Are you sure that you don’t have superpowers? Because what I just witnessed back there was unbelievable.”

Len signaled to turn left as he replied, “No, Barry, what you just witnessed was all too human. In fact, there was nothing remotely special or unusual about what I did.”

Barry pivoted in his seat to face his love and exclaimed, “Len, by the time you got done with those officers, they were shaking your hand and _apologizing_ for causing you the inconvenience of showing up to a bar fight! There’s nothing normal about that.”

Len sighed and replied with obvious impatience, “Everything about that was woefully predictable. I hold a powerful position in Central City politics now, Scarlet. I have weekly power lunches with the mayor, the police captain, and the district attorney. Thanks to my very deep pockets and a little bit of namedropping, it will be like none of this ever happened.” He paused to allow Barry to absorb that before adding softly, “Like I said, nothing special.”

Barry could hear the ring of truth in Len’s last words, and he knew that Len was talking about himself. It amazed Barry that such a confident, determined man could still have insecurities or doubt his worth. In Barry’s eyes, Len was every bit the hero of their story. Len was incredibly smart and intuitive, ruthless and driven, and never allowed anything to stand in the way of what he wanted. Barry was just grateful that Len seemed to want him.

Barry reached out to place his hand on Len’s arm. “Everything about you is special, Len. You’re smart, tough, fair, loving, and sexier than _fuck_.”

Len’s eyes crinkled at the corners with his smile and he darted a quick look into Barry’s eyes. “Sexier than fuck, huh? That’s pretty special.”

Barry laughed and squeezed Len’s arm affectionately. “Don’t be a smartass. I’m serious. Every time I start to think that I can’t possibly fall in love with you more, I fall even further. That’s because of you, and I can’t think of anything more special than that.”

Even in the darkness of the SUV, Barry could see the heat staining Len’s neck and cheeks. He shook his head with a small smile and replied gruffly, “If anything makes me special, it’s you, Scarlet. You inspire me to be a better man every single day.”

Barry’s heart burst to overflowing and it couldn’t contain the ridiculous happiness that washed over him. It had taken so long to get Len to use his words that Barry cherished each declaration for the precious gem it was. Barry didn’t necessarily need to hear the words, because Len’s actions spoke for him loud and clear. But still, it was always nice to hear the words.

Barry settled back into his seat and smiled. “You do realize that you are going to be an uncle in nine months, right? Your sister, Lisa ‘Golden Glider’ Snart, is going to have a baby. How do you feel about that?”

Len shifted uncomfortably in his seat and shrugged. “It was bound to happen at some point. How I feel about it is irrelevant.”

“You’re freaking out, aren’t you? Is that the real reason why you picked a fight with Cisco?” Barry asked coyly.

Len didn’t reply immediately. Barry watched Len’s lips twist with thought before the man blurted, “It wasn’t the _only_ reason. We’ll just leave it at that.”

Barry laughed and leaned his head back on the seat as he said, “We’re going to be awesome uncles. I can literally take our niece or nephew to Disney World every single day with just a few minutes’ run. And, you can teach him/her how to plan a heist! Of course, I’ll have to teach them how to foil their own plans, though, because I am a superhero after all.”

Len’s breath made an audible escape from his nose. “Lest you forget, Scarlet, this kid will be half Snart. Thievery and lawbreaking run in our DNA. So do our stunning good looks.”

“Yeah, but there’s half Ramon in there, too. That means passion, ingenuity, and a drive to do the right thing. Add in the fact that Cisco likely passed on his meta genes to the baby, and you’ve got-“

“Good God,” Len interrupted Barry rudely. “I always knew my sister would give birth to the antichrist.”

Barry choked and coughed as he sputtered with laughter. Len joined along with him until the interior of the vehicle rang with their hilarity. It took several minutes for them to get themselves back under control. Too much had happened in too short of a time for them to do anything else but laugh. Their lives were crazy, unpredictable, dramatic, and dangerous. But Barry wouldn’t have it any other way so long as he had Len.

They were five minutes from home when Len broke the companionable silence between them. “You are an amazing singer, Scarlet. I hope you understand that I fully expect to be serenaded on the regular now.”

Barry watched Len’s profile in the reflection of the passenger window and his heart skipped a beat. Even after everything they had been through together, Len still surprised him.

Instead of replying, Barry began to sing softly,

 

_Can’t say how the days will unfold,_

_Can’t change what the future may hold,_

_But I want you in it,_

_Every hour, every minute._

_This world can race by far too fast,_

_Hard to see while it’s all flying past,_

_But it’s clear now,_

_When you’re standing here now,_

_I am meant to be,_

_Wherever you are next to me._

As Barry continued to sing his love to his love, he watched Len’s reflection and reached out to trace the glass curve of his cheek. Len didn’t look Barry’s way even once, but Barry could see Len’s throat bob every time he swallowed, and he could make out glistening of Len’s pale blue eyes, and he could see Len’s knuckles turn white against the padded leather of the steering wheel.

So, he sang with more emotion, pouring himself into the lyrics to lend truth to their meaning. _“All I want to do, Is to come running home to you, Come running home to you.”_

He was so lost inside the song that he didn’t even realize that they were home until Len turned the key to kill the engine. Barry was just fine with that, because there were only a few more lines to the song, and he needed to look Len in the eye as he sang them.

Barry turned in his seat and faced Len for the first time since he had begun the song and he locked eyes with him, golden hazel to icy blue, and he sang:

_Can’t say how the days will unfold,_

_Can’t change what the future may hold,_

Their faces drifted closer until Barry’s song washed over Len’s lips like chocolate wine. Barry licked his bottom lip and allowed his eyelids to droop with anticipation as he concluded,

_But I want you in it,_

_Every hour…every.... minute…….._

The last word was still hanging in the air between them when Len palmed Barry’s jaw and drew him in for a kiss. Barry opened his lips like he had just opened his soul, and allowed Len to come in and claim it all, and he did. Len’s fingers dug into Barry’s skull in order to hold him still so that he could ravage and taste every part of Barry. He loved the feeling of drowning beneath Len’s passion, because he knew he was safe with Len. No one in the entire multiverse loved him and cared for him like Len.

Only the need for air and discretion brought them apart. They rested their foreheads together as they both battled for breath. Logically, Barry knew they couldn’t put on a show for the small army of security that Len kept on their compound. Unfortunately, Barry’s logic tended to fly out the window when he was with Len. All Barry wanted right this minute was to get naked with Len.

Len was the first to interrupt the sacred moment between them. “That’s not fair, Scarlet. You just found my kryptonite. Your voice makes me weak, and I can’t think straight when I’m weak. It makes me want to give you everything. Anything you want, I will get it and lay it at your feet. I don’t know what to do with that feeling.”

Barry rubbed his nose along Len’s and replied softly, “Then give me what I want, Len. You. Just you, and only you. That’s all I want. It’s all I need.”

Len’s breath was shaky as he inhaled slowly before exhaling on a ragged chuckle. “You don’t ask for much, do you, Scarlet? Are you sure I couldn’t interest you in lakefront property or a fancy sports car? I feel like you’re selling yourself short in this deal.”

Barry pulled back to glare at the love of his life. “Fine, I’ll take you, and unlimited blow jobs. You should have just taken the first deal. Now I want the blow jobs, too. I would stop while you’re ahead.”

Barry achieved his goal when Len’s face broke out into a smile that reached his eyes. Len tucked the keys in his pocket and opened the door. “Okay, it’s a deal. Come on, Scarlet. Let’s go inside and I’ll start worshipping at your feet.”

Barry slammed the door shut and zipped around the car until he was standing directly in front of Len. He darted in to give his love a kiss and announced, “Oh, it’s not my feet I want you to worship.”

Len stalked forward while Barry stepped back in pace with him. “By the time I’m done with you, Scarlet, you’ll be the one calling out my name. Then we'll see who is the one that is being worshiped.”

Barry’s heart thundered with excitement and lust, and his blood raced in time with the speed force. “Why don’t we go inside and find out?”

Len snatched Barry’s hand and they ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I think I got a toothache from writing this story. It's so romantic and...and...sweet! It was a blast to write, though, and I had a great time interacting with all of you again! I hope to be back with more ficlets soon. I would love to revisit Moretti the Mobster from the series. I've got several ideas for more, so I will do my best to come back with more soon. Thank you again to all the amazing friends who have taken the time to comment and chat. It's my favorite thing about this site! Peace and kindness, friends!**


End file.
